


The Misadventures of a Witch And His Familiar

by BottomlessAbyss



Category: the GazettE
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Multi, Past Relationship(s), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-07-25 01:20:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16187105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BottomlessAbyss/pseuds/BottomlessAbyss
Summary: Being a witch's assistant-in-training and making ends meet is hard enough as it is. But when your familiar is a demon summoned from hell itself and not only hell-bent on causing havoc and mischief, but also constantly hungry for affection? Well, that's another story in itself.





	1. Poisonous

Humans made everything so unnecessarily complicated than things had to be. On one hand, it certainly supplied Kouyou with juicy entertainment. He thrived on it, often wanted to stir the pot where he could to make things _more_ interesting. But Takanori had been ranting for almost two hours from the time he got back, something about a self-indulged, holier-than-thou asshat he apprenticed under. Not a single chin scratch was given, not even a little rub behind an ear. Was this the price of morphing out of the comfortableness of feline lounging? Moving out of the nice spot he found at long last for a nap just to hear _two hours-worth_ of r _anting_?

Kouyou frowned. This couldn’t stand. There was only one way to fix all of this, and the answer only took two syllables of wasted breath and time. It was an answer that would solve not only Takanori’s problem, but his as well.

“Poison him.”

Simple, straight to the point, and reasonable. Problem solved.

Annoyance melted away to stupor as Takanori balked in surprise. “…Are you out of your mind?”

Kouyou had the audacity to ponder for a moment. “Quite the opposite, actually–“

“I can’t just _poison him_. What is wrong with you?”

“You act as if you don’t have the means to do it,” Kouyou arched an eyebrow, nonchalantly waving a hand at the many jars of… whatever the boy had business of fussing over when he concocted anything. “The sooner you do it, the sooner you’ll be stress-free. And _I_ ,” he reached out to grab for Takanori’s wrist and pull him until the witch sat beside him on the sofa so he could stretch out and rest his head on his lap, “can soak this up in peace. I’ll assist you in getting what you need, if must.”

Humans made everything so unnecessarily complicated, yet it took something so simple as Takanori running his fingers through Kouyou’s hair to ease him and Kouyou both. It wasn’t as entertaining as poisoning, but as Kouyou closed his eyes and hummed a husky sound of approval at the way Takanori’s nails gently scratched at his scalp – Takanori’s amused chuckle softly ringing in his ears – he decided that it didn’t have to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi-hi~ Long time no see. It's been a while. Life is life on this end. This is a gift fic to a friend, and in celebration of Halloween I've decided to put on twist on things. With little to no time to draw anything for inktober and work on my graduation thesis, after taking a poll vote on Twitter, I plan to take the Inktober prompts and write them in small drabbles all month, one small writing a day. I don’t have the time to work on any other art outside of my graduation final. Like this, I’ll be able to write and still meet my assignment deadlines.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this just as much as I will enjoy writing this♡


	2. Tranquil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, Takanori thinks he dreams.

Sometimes, Takanori thinks he dreams. He thinks he hops from one dream and into the next, landing right into the palms of hands that cup his cheeks when he startles awake all the sudden, freight and alarm in his eyes, breath hitching up into an impending cry Kouyou can see before he’s even aware himself. What tendrils of vivid dreams – destruction and chaos and loss, the smell of decay so pungent it made him nauseas – clung to him, and for a moment Takanori couldn’t see Kouyou, couldn’t hear the calls of his name until given a firm, little shake. It was just enough to bring him back into focus.

“You’re okay,” Kouyou soothed, gently skimming his thumb a little way under Takanori’s eye to catch a stray tear. “You’re okay. Everything’s alright. It isn’t real.”

It was as if Kouyou knew what he saw. If he did, then he would have known the cause for the lump of emotion painfully lodged in his throat, the reason why he openly cried in the palm of his hands as Kouyou smoothed his fringe from his fevered forehead. He held tight to Kouyou with all that he could muster as he was carefully coaxed into arms that welcomed him, embraced with shushed coos and a nose pressed to his mused hair.

“It isn’t real,” Kouyou soothed once more, promised him as he pressed his cheek to Takanori’s temple. “and I’m not going anywhere.”

As Kouyou comfortingly carded his fingers through Takanori’s hair, unaware of the kiss buried somewhere in the mused locks of his hair, a steady wave of peace washed over Takanori at the assurance. A promise.

Whether he hugged Kouyou tighter and the demon, in turn, did the same or not, neither one spoke a word to acknowledge it. Maybe... it was a dream, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm already a little behind lol. Woops. I'm playing catch-up today.


	3. Roast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Absolutely fucking not."

Takanori was aggravated again. Kouyou could practically hear the rough _chop chop chop_ of a knife on cutting board as the witch prepped for dinner, cooking book levitated usefully in midair as he bustled around, shutting cabinet and pantry door with a little more force than necessary. Kouyou practically _leered_ with the thought that crossed his mind, a wickedness under the smooth spread of a dark smirk from his lazy sprawl on the sofa after pouring himself a glass of wine from a bottle Takanori gifted to him from his ran errand to the grocery store.

“We can roast him.”

“Absolutely fucking not.” Takanori interjected immediately. It didn’t stop Kouyou one bit.

“After we poison him and slit him from ear to ear, we can make him into a nice, roasted meat pie. It’s been a while since I’ve done it, and I don’t think it’ll sell nearly as well as it did before, but we can make it work.” Kouyou looked at the flabbergasted witch over the rim of his wine glass and winked, holding it up in c _heers._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun headcanon: Kouyou totally had dealings with Sweeney Todd back in the day.


	4. Spell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Really, now. Have more faith in me. I’ve been pretty good as of recent.”

A spell is conducted at almost any given moment of the day. It intrigued Kouyou to watch Takanori partake in daily rituals, touch up sigil marks concealed in places the ordinary person wouldn’t think to be, softly mumble a spell under his breath over his morning coffee mid-prepping for work, drowsiness heavy at his eyelids as he sweetened and stirred with intent before sipping.

But his favorite spell of all that Kouyou enjoyed watching Takanori conduct on a daily was one that consisted of having a sigil drawn on the inner side of his left wrist with some form of essential oil – a blend of pure clove, lemon, rosemary and cinnamon bark – and sealing it with a chaste, fleeting kiss.

“Stay out of trouble, don’t even _think_ of causing any mischief. Got it?” Takanori regarded Kouyou pointedly.

“I won’t, I won’t,” Kouyou rolled his eyes. Whether his cheeks felt a tad warmer than normally or not, he didn’t think much of it. “Really, now. Have more faith in me. I’ve been pretty good as of recent.”

“As of recent, is the keyword.” Takanori adjusted the strap of his messenger bag over his shoulder and sighed. “I’ll be back late tonight, but I’ll grab something on the way home. Don’t wait up for me.”

A sly smile quirked at the corners of Kouyou’s mouth as he hummed huskily in understanding. “You don’t have to tell me twice.” Perhaps there was a sparkle of mischief spotted in his eyes, a sign that giving too much freedom to a free-roaming demon while his master was away was nothing but trouble waiting to happen, and maybe Taknori could see it. No, Kouyou knew he could. But what he couldn’t see was the unexpected addition of another kiss pressed to his wrist, right where the drawn sigil was placed, the moment Takanori raised his hand close to his face once more. Kouyou’s lips parted around a wordless little breath and his fingers close to Takanori’s cheek gave a tiny flinch in surprise.

It didn’t matter that his gaze was particularly stuck on how a touch of sheen now coated Takanori’s lips, or even that he had the urge to dutifully remove it with his thumb and the rest with his tongue, because before Takanori left him behind he looked at him over his shoulder and gave a small, soft smirk.

“I always have faith in you.”

The door closed, Takanori left, and Kouyou could still feel the ghost of the witch’s lips on his skin.

He wondered what new spell Takanori had casted on him this time. Whatever it was… he hoped he’d make it part of his morning ritual from now on.  


	5. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takanori hopes Kouyou feels at home.

There’s a sense of endearment when Kouyou lounges around in his feline form, fur as dark as midnight and eyes deep, unnervingly beautiful it’s almost intimidating when his gaze would fixate on someone. Boundaries are nothing compared to his freedom and where he roamed. And yet, he dutifully comes back home without fail, curling into the welcomed outstretch of Takanori’s palm and fingers that pet him with greeting.

Takanori hopes Kouyou feels at home. He hopes that he never tires of curling into his lap when he’s trying to get work done or stops selfishly sitting on the keyboard of his laptop when he types, blatant with his want for affection yet never shy to cloak the twinkle of mischief in his eyes that always shines through no matter what form Kouyou takes. But he does hide it in the way he purrs into his skin when he sweetly nuzzles his little head under the witch’s chin – and it gets Takanori every single time. How can he not stop to give Kouyou what he wants?

“You’re so ridiculous,” Takanori groaned, gathering the cat into his arms. “Ten minutes.”

Ten minutes turns into two hours, and Takanori naps soundlessly on the sofa with Kouyou curled contently atop of his chest with the sound of rain _pitter patter_ on the windowpane.

Takanori hopes Kouyou feels at home, because home has never felt as such to him until now.


	6. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What would damn him faster, he wondered.

The bathwater was hot, foamy with bubbles and comforting, seeping into the core of muscles to melt away stress that made Takanori feel so uneasy. Having Kouyou join him made it all the better, despite the fuss he made. The tub would be too cramped to home them both, and yet Kouyou made it work so seamlessly. He fit behind him like a glove, and Takanori absently poked at Kouyou’s kneecap peeking up from the bathwater after slicking his damp hair back from his red-rimmed eyes. He stroked at the soft skin and traced invisible patterns, transitioned into characters that was meant to be felt than said, vocal cords too tied and exhausted to speak.

_Don’t ever leave me._

After a paused moment charged with surprise and something more,  Kouyou’s arms wrapped around Takanori from behind and hugged him close, and the pair slotted together like pieces of a puzzle Takanori didn’t know had ever been missing as Kouyou’s chin gently rested atop of his bare shoulder. Not until now.

“Never,” Kouyou softly breathed into his ear, and Takanori closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed against him, sinking further into the hot, foamy bathwater that smelled of roses and promise. “Never.”

Takanori’s eyes whelmed with tears for what felt to be the umpteenth time that night as he stared unseeingly at a spot on the adjacent wall. What would damn him faster, he wondered. The sheer affectionate promise he could detect in Kouyou’s voice as he pressed a tender kiss right at the softest spot behind his ear, or the way his heart threatened to dangerously flutter at all at the very realization that he believed him.


	7. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t break my promises, and I won’t start now.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you look,” The voice paused thoughtfully, a tantalizing lilt in his tone. “ _Exhausted_.”

Kouyou bristled over his cup of tea and subtly narrowed his gaze at the man adjacent from him across the quaint, tableclothed table in warning. “Yuu.”

“Am I wrong?” Yuu had the audacity to sing-song, brushing a long, black lock of hair that was slightly curled at the ends over his shoulder with a graceful sweep of his hand and a dark chuckle on is tongue that held flavorful remnants of dark chocolate, crème and bitter coffee.

Kouyou wished he could say he wasn’t. He wanted to, without a shadow of a doubt. Being tied to this human form for so long – longer than initially intended, at least – was taxing. Never had he ever had the overwhelming urge to sleep when weakness from what he lacked settled in. Slumber staved off the urges from what he swore not to do under the oath of what bonded him to the witch he left behind, tuckered out from crying with insubstantial energy to work for the past two days.

“You’ve had your fun.” Yuu said lowly, a soft frown weighing at his eyebrows. What playfulness had warmed their reunion thus far was nowhere to be found. “The sooner you stop playing with your food, the sooner you stop playing _pretend_ , the better.”

Kouyou frowned down at the tea cup he held in his hands, admiring the simplistic design that still somehow seemed so complex; half-empty. He _was_ tired. And yet, all he could think about was Takanori bundled up in blankets longer than him by the windowsill, eyes still puffy and red-rimmed and the effort of a genuine smile when he mentioned he was going out for tea with an old friend; the assurance that he’d be there waiting for him.

“I promised him I’d bring back a slice of cake,” Kouyou reached for the dessert menu without meeting Yuu’s gaze. “I don’t break my promises, and I won’t start now.” He didn’t have to look to see the expression of knowing on the other demon’s face. Knowing, pity, with a sting of jealousy that lasted no longer than the faintest of seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've surprised my own self that there could be an actual plot to this. What a dozy.
> 
> I want to take the time out to say thank you all for reading and leaving kudos and comments. I deeply appreciate it♡


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